The James Q. Wilson Collection at the RAND Library

The James Q. Wilson Papers

The James Q. Wilson Papers include his speeches, research, correspondence, and writings documenting his personal life and professional career.

James Q. Wilson, the late political scientist known as the co-creator of the "broken windows" criminology theory, bequeathed to the Pardee RAND Graduate School in October 2012 an archive of all of his papers, books, articles and commentaries, in addition to those of his doctoral students; the Collection was dedicated in January 2013.

A mixture of professional and scholarly items that include correspondence with other scholars and public officials, the papers are part of the James Q. Wilson Collection at the headquarters campus of the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, Calif., and are available for the use of scholars and researchers.

The James Q. Wilson Collection and the James Q. Wilson dissertation fellowship, which will both be supported by a $1.1 million endowment, were created at the Pardee RAND Graduate School by donors and supporters to recognize the life and legacy of Wilson.

In the end, though, it's important to remember that Jim’s contributions to the field of public policy — and to RAND — go beyond words. An online photo album highlights the Policy Forum and events around the dedication of the James Q. Wilson Collection. You may also view the following photo montage that commemorates Jim.

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A photo of Jim in SCUBA gear is just one feature of the Collection.

How to Use the Collection

The Collection includes nearly 1,400 books from his personal collection and an archival collection of approximately 20 linear feet of papers that RAND Knowledge Services has cataloged for the benefit of the research community. A finding aid is available as a free, downloadable PDF to help researchers explore the collection.

James Q. Wilson, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and RAND

Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003, James Q. Wilson was a long-time member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School's Board of Governors, received an honorary degree from the school in 2004, and served as a RAND Corporation trustee from 1994 to 2004.

"Jim was a towering intellectual figure at RAND," said Michael Rich, president and CEO of RAND. "He was a frequent collaborator — and at times a critic. He made RAND a better institution. He was a scholar in his own right, and not only helped govern the institution but often formally reviewed our research."

Pardee RAND dean Susan Marquis still uses Wilson's classic 1989 textbook Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It when teaching doctoral students today.

"Jim's legacy of ideas and ideals will be carried on through his enduring scholarship, and through the newly-established James Q. Wilson Dissertation Award and the James Q. Wilson Public Policy collection at PRGS," Marquis said.